Some games are about intense, heart-pounding competition, and others are just about playing ball in the warm sunshine.

Friday's St. Joseph Academy-Beacon of Hope baseball game was clearly the latter.

It's already been a long season for the Beacon of Hope team, which is 0-8. And the Eagles have a much smaller pool of students to pick from than St. Joe.

The discrepancy showed in a 24-0 win for St. Joe, which was very conservative on the bases after taking a quick 9-0 lead in the first inning.

Despite the lopsided score, Beacon of Hope coach and athletic director LaVoy Newton said he was happy to get in a game in town.

"I appreciate them playing us because that's the level we're trying to get to," Newton said.

St. Joe coach Bernie Packo was happy to oblige, even though it wasn't much of a test for the Flashes.

"They're trying to build a program," Packo said. "I've been in their shoes before."

The Flashes are in a very different place right now.

Friday's victory helped the Flashes improve to 5-5 on the season. That's a sign things are far from perfect, but Packo said he's been pretty happy because the team has mostly played close games and has been fun to coach.

At 2-2 in District 6-2A, St. Joe still has a chance to earn the No. 2 seed in the district tournament.

Packo said with starting pitchers Dustin Whitman and Zach Smith throwing well and with solid defense up the middle there is no reason to think the Flashes can't be competitive the second half of the season.

He hopes Friday's big win relaxes the team and helps the players come out with more confidence next week.

"We hope to build some momentum and get on a winning streak," Packo said. "We have the nucleus to get on that streak. If we get on a little roll, I'll feel pretty good."

The hits came non-stop Friday. Nine straight batters reached at one point in the nine-run first. Smith had a two-run single, and Blake Benedict added a two-run double.

Benedict added a grand slam to right field in the fourth and finished 4 for 5 with two doubles.

Brian Stecker, Sam Foley, Mason Snodgrass and Whitman held the Eagles to one hit -- by Brady Wade -- and struck out a combined 12.

With St. Joe and others having so much success against Beacon this season, it has been up to Newton to keep the team together.

He said the Eagles were 12-12 last season but lost a key senior in Garrett Johns and had a couple people not come out for baseball this year.

At a school with just 40 students at the high school level -- and just 175 in K-12 -- any loss is hard to overcome.

Newton said the Eagles have players as young as sixth graders playing.

"The main thing I try to emphasize is the little things," Newton said. "We need to concentrate on every pitch."

And the added challenge is keeping the team positive and enjoying the game as the losses mount.

"It's hard sometimes," he said. "Even when losing, I try to focus on the life lessons.

"I still lean back on things I learned in sports that help me out today."